Articulated handle and shampoo tank for a floor care machine

ABSTRACT

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a floor polisher or the like having a manipulating and carrying handle comprising a lower fork pivotally connected to the polisher base and an upper fork pivotally connected to the lower fork, there being releasable locking means for securing the forks in extended fixed position relative to each other. A shampoo tank is removably carried by the lower fork and is provided with a discharge valve having a valve stem extending from the upper end of the tank adjacent to the pivotal joint between the forks. Valve actuating mechanism is carried by the upper fork and is so arranged that when the forks are in extended locked position, the mechanism is in cooperative position with the valve stem for actuating the latter to open the valve. Conduit means extends from the discharge valve to the polisher base which includes a plurality of rotary brushes, at least one of which has an annular recess in which the conduit discharges. Each brush has a ring of sponge material, the rings of the different brushes being in compressive contact with each other. A channel is provided between the annular recess and the sponge on that brush.

United States Patent Gaudry et al.

July 4, 1912 [54] ARTICULATED HANDLE AND SHAMPOO TANK FOR A FLOOR CARE MACHINE Inventors: Paul E. Gaudry, Laval des Rapides,

Quebec; Edouard Gaudry, Cite-St.-Laurent, Quebec; Raymond Deacarries, Mon treal, Quebec; James Anderson, Daie-D- Durfe, Quebec, all of Canada Consolidated Foods Corporation, Chicago, Ill.

Filed: Oct. 16, 1970 Appl. No.: 81,454

Related [1.8. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 798,549, Dec. 19, I968, abandoned, which is a division of Ser. No. 647,378, June 20, 1967, abandoned.

Assignee:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1965 Anderson ..i5/49 R X 3,2l2,ll7 l0/l965 Ernstbergeretal ..l5/50R Primary Examiner-Edward L. Roberts Atrorneywilliam S. Henry [57] ABSTRACT In accordance with the present invention there is provided a floor polisher or the like having a manipulating and carrying handle comprising a lower fork pivotally connected to the polisher base and an upper fork pivotally connected to the lower fork, there being releasable locking means for securing the forks in extended fixed position relative to each other. A shampoo tank is removably carried by the lower fork and is provided with a discharge valve having a valve stem extending from the upper end of the tank adjacent to the pivotal joint between the forks. Valve actuating mechanism is carried by the upper fork and is so arranged that when the forks are in extended locked position, the mechanism is in cooperative position with the valve stem for actuating the latter to open the valve. Conduit means extends from the discharge valve to the polisher base which includes a plurality of rotary brushes, at least one of which has an annular recess in which the conduit discharges. Each brush has a ring of sponge material. the rings of the difi'erent brushes being in compressive contact with each other. A channel is provided between the annular recess and the sponge on that brush.

1 Claim, 1 I Drawing Figures PATENTEnJuL 4 m2 SHEET 3 BF 5 Y 3% m 32 ma w 3 8W5 l mmm meta THEIR ATTORNEY PATENTEUJUL 4 I972 3. 673 .628

SHEET u 0F 5 INVENTORS H901 E. Gavan Emu/nu: 021

R0 YMOND Janet/ts Jane: mvursou THEIR ATTORNEY ARTICULATED HANDLE AND SHAMPOO TANK FOR A FLOOR CARE MACHINE This application is a division of our copending application Ser. No. 798,549 filed Dec. I9, 1968, and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,63 l ,559, which latter application is a division of our application Ser. No. 647,378 filed June 20, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,272 issued Sept. 30, 1969.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a multi-brush combined floor polisher-rug scrubber machine of the type generally known from such U. 8. Pat. Nos. as 3,153,251, 3,l86,022 and 3,275,760.

The known machines for floor and/or rug cleaning have tended to be bulky and difficult to transport or store because the handle is not designed for easy carrying and for storage in a small space having a small head space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A further improvement over the prior art machine is provided by this invention by virtue of an articulated handle which is quickly and simply folded to provide a convenient carrying for the machine and allow it to be stored in an area having a small head space. The handle of the invention is locked in extended position by spring biased camming bar which cooperates with a curved surface of a handle section to compensate for wear i.e. the handle is rigidly locked in its extended position regardless of wear. In addition the handle according to the invention is provided with means for removably mounting a shampoo tank in a simple and secure manner and a sham poo dispensing control lever is incorporated in the handle for operating the valve of the shampoo tank without exposed use of chains as commonly found in the known machines.

An object of the invention is to provide a floor olisher-rug scrubber which is less bulky in size and appearance than the known machines and which is provided with an articulated handle for readily carrying and storing the machine, together with a shampoo tank which may be removably securred to the handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective view of a floor care machine according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1 with the handle shown in stowed position.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the handle for a floor care machine according to the invention in greater detail than shown in FIG. 1 and in addition showing a shampoo tank in combination.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the handle and tank assembly shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional view taken along line 5, 5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a detailed cross-sectional view taken along line 6, 6 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7, 7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement for holding and releasing a shampoo tank from the handle assembly.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the articu- Iated joint of the handle assembly which is partly broken away.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 9 showing parts in another position.

FIG. I] is a cross-sectional elevation showing details of the latching arrangement according to FIGS. 6 and 9.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A floor care machine according to the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, consists of a handle, generally designated I which is pivotally connected to a base portion generally designated 2. A shampoo tank is adapted to be removably attached to the handle, and as seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and the handle is articulated at the carrying yoke for carrying and stowage purposes. The outer housing of the base portion consists of a dome 4 attached to a hood 5 which is in turn attached to a base plate or casting 6. The handle is pivotally connected to the hood 5 in any suitable manner. A bumper skirt 7 of resilient material covers the base plate 6 and extends outwardly from the hood 5 to protect furniture from being marred by the machine. The handle 1 is provided with suitable fittings for holding an electric cord and associated plug in place on the handle as indicated in FIG. I.

The articulated handle generally designated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, for guiding the base member 2 over a floor is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 to 10. The handle comprises an upper fork and a lower fork 10]. Each pair of legs or tines of the upper and lower fork members diverse from an intermediate yoke I02 which is connected to or formed integral with the lower fork. The upper fork is pivotally attached at a pivot I03 to the yoke 102 and the latching arrangement securing the upper fork in its extended position (FIG. 3) is best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The upper fork terminates in a pair of hand grips I04 integral with an intermediate piece I05. A shampoo dispensing control lever I06 and associated linkage is incorporated in one tine of the upper fork as seen in detail in FIG. 5. The lower fork is adapted to receive a shampoo tank 99 which is removably attached thereto as will be described in connection with FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.

FIG. 5 which is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5, 5 of FIG. 4 illustrates the shampoo dispensing linkage interconnecting the control lever 106 and a valve actuating rod I20 of the shampoo tank 99. The lever 106 is shown in a stowed or retracted position in the figure and when it is elevated about pivot I07 by movement in the direction indicated by the arrows to the horizontal position, the inner end 108 of the lever bears against a shoulder I09 of the push rod IIO. The push rod III] is held in position within the recess of the fork 100 in any suitable manner. The other end of push rod 110 is bifurcated at its lower end. One branch "M of the bifurcated end of push rod I10 has a helical compression spring Ill concentrically surrounding it whereby the rod is urged upwardly so that the upper end of the push rod I10 engages a stop defined by the upper end of the tine recess as shown. In this position the branch 110b of push rod 110 is positioned in a retracted position within the tine I00. When the lever I06 is lifted the rod I10 is depressed and the branch 110b then projects beyond the end of the upper tine 100 into the yoke 102, thus depressing an intermediate motion translator I12. The motion translator 112 is urged upwardly within the yoke by a compression spring 113, in which position the top of the actuator is just flush with the associated surface of the yoke. As is apparent from FIG. 5 the translator I I2 is moved downwardly by the branch "0b of the rod "0 when the lever 106 is lifted. The translator end 112a of the translator 112 is therefore moved into engagement with the valve actuator rod I20 of the shampoo tank 99 and moves rod I20 downwardly against spring 115 which normally urges the rod I20 upwardly. The lower end of rod carries a valve 1200 (FIG. 6) attached to the rod in any suitable manner and a valve seat 990 is formed integral with the tank 99. As a result the valve I201: is unseated when the lever I06 is lifted when in its extended position (FIG. 5) and the liquid in the tank flows into the mounting block I30 attached to the lower end of the tine I01. The mounting block is provided with an opening which communicates the mounting block 130 with a tube 86. The tube 86 delivers the liquid shampoo to the foam generating brush. Alternatively the tube 86 may deliver liquid into a channel formed integral with the splash plate. In FIG. 3 reference numeral 13a identifies an upstanding hollow conduit, integral with a splash plate and communicating with a channel (not shown) in the splash plate which conducts liquid to one of the brushes. The upper end of conduit 13a terminates in a suitable opening in the hood 5 as shown in FIG. I. As shown in FIG. I

the tube 86 remains in position when the tank 99 is removed since the mounting block I30 remains connected with the tine of the fork IOI.

As seen in FIG. 7 the mounting block I30 consists of a resilient synthetic resin formed by moulding. The tine 10] of the lower fork is generally U-shaped and is dimensioned to receive the mounting block 130 as shown in FIG. 7. The mounting block is held on the tine by a finger I3I having a recess which receives the projection 118 of the tine MI. The block is free to move in a longitudinal direction relative to the tine I01 between an upper stop and a lower stop provided on the tine (not shown). A mounting block on the other tine of the lower fork is identical to mounting block 130 with the exception that no provision is required for passing shampoo liquid through it.

FIG. 8 shows the upper end of the shampoo tank 99 held between the tines of the lower fork 101 by a pair of lugs 135. A handle 150 on the shampoo tank is pivoted at 151 and when the handle is lifted fromthe position shown in FIG. 8 in the direction indicated by the arrow, the surfaces 152 of the handle engage the lugs I35 forcing the bottle downwardly thereby moving the mounting blocks against the compression spring I36 (FIG. 6) concentrically surrounding the spring pilot I37 (FIG. 7). When the shampoo tank is pushed down by the handle 150 to a determined degree the lugs 155 on the handle cooperating with the lugs 135, are free to slip past the lugs 13S and the tank 99 is withdrawn from between the tines of the lower fork. Then the tank 99 is placed on the fork by placing the bottom of the tank on the mounting pads and pushing it into the fork I01 until the lugs 155 slip past lugs I35.

The latching arrangement for the articulated handle is shown in detail in FIGS. 10 to II. As shown in these views each tine of the upper fork I has a configured ear 1000 which fit in an appropriate slot in the yoke I02. The ears 100a have an inclined surface I00!) and a curved surface I000 (FIGS. I0, II). A bar 160 having a wedge-shaped cross section which is movable within a vertically elongated recess 161 locks the upper fork in its extended position, as shown in FIG. 10, when bar 160 is jammed between the yoke and the inclined surface of the ear 1000. When the release key 162 is depressed (in the direction ofthe arrow (FIG. lI the bar 160 moves from the position shown in section in FIG. 9 to the position shown in phantom lines, and the upper fork is free to turn about the pivot I03. When the upper fork is raised, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 11, the curved surface I000 of the ears 1000 slide along the bar I60 until the upper yoke reaches a vertical position, then the key 162 is moved into jamming position, locking the handle in its extended position. It is noted that over extended periods of time the surfaces and I001: of the ears I004 may wear, however the upper yoke will be firmly locked in extended position nevertheless because the adverse effect of such wear will be offset by the bar which will move a proportional distance upwardly in the recess 161. The bar 160 is connected with the release key I62 as best seen in FIG. 11. The release key I62 which slidably fits into a well in the yoke 102, has a plurality of depending legs I63 and the bar 160 is connected in any suitable manner with these legs. A light spring 164 urges the release key I62 and associated bar I60 in an upward direction as shown in these figures.

While I have shown a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, various modification will be apparent from the teaching above.

What is claimed is:

I. Apparatus including a base member and a handle member connected with said base member, the improvement comprising in the handle member a lower fork connected with said base member, a yoke joining the ends of said lower fork remote from said base member, an upper fork pivotally conntected with said yoke at one end, a handle connected with the ends of said upper fork remote from said yoke, and means for releasably locking said forks in extended position; said releasable locking means including a channel in said yoke, a bar movably mounted in said channel, a pair of ears connected with said upper fork and coupled with said yoke, said ears hav ing a curved surface extending into said channel and engaging said rod, an inclined surface coextensive with the said curved surface of said ears, said inclined surface and the adjacent surface of said channel defining a pair of wedge-shaped recesses for receiving said bar when said forks are in their extended position, means connected with said bar for moving said bar out of said recesses, a shampoo tank, means for removably securing said tank on said lower fork between the tines thereof; said tank having an outlet therein nonnally closed by valve means and a rod connected with the valve means and projecting from said tank at the upper end thereof adjacent to one tine of said lower fork, a motion translator in said yoke adapted to engage the projecting end of said tank valve rod; a lever adjacent to the handle of said upper fork, said lever being pivotally mounted on the tine of said upper rod coextensive with the one tine of said lower fork when said forks are extended, and a push rod movably connected with said coextensive tine engageable by said lever at one end and engaging said motion translator at its other end when said forks are in extended position, manipulation of said lever moving said push rod which in turn moves said motion translator to open the valve in said tank for discharge fluid shampoo from said tank.

# i i 0 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 673, 628 Dated July 4 1972 Invent0r(s) Paul E. Gaudry et. a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet [62] after "June 20, 1967", cancel abandoned Signed and sealed this 19th day of December 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM F'O- 0 0 (10-69) uscoMM-DC 003141-900 l! U S DOVZRNMENT PRINTING OFFICK IIB O-llG-SSA, 

1. Apparatus including a base member and a handle member connected with said base member, the improvement comprising in the handle member a lower fork connected with said base member, a yoke joining the ends of said lower fork remote from said base member, an upper fork pivotally conntected with said yoke at one end, a handle connected with the ends of said upper fork remote from said yoke, and means for releasably locking said forks in extended position; said releasable locking means including a channel in said yoke, a bar movably mounted in said channel, a pair of ears connected with said upper fork and coupled with said yoke, said ears having a curved surface extending into said channel and engaging said rod, an inclined surface coextensive with the said curved surface of said ears, said inclined surface and the adjacent surface of said channel defining a pair of wedge-shaped recesses for receiving said bar when said forks are in their extended position, means connected with said bar for moving said bar out of said recesses, a shampoo tank, means for removably securing said tank on said lower fork between the tines thereof; said tank having an outlet therein normally closed by valve means and a rod connected with the valve means and projecting from said tank at the upper end thereof adjacent to one tine of said lower fork, a motion translator in said yoke adapted to engage the projecting end of said tank valve rod; a lever adjacent to the handle of said upper fork, said lever being pivotally mounted on the tine of said upper rod coextensive with the one tine of said lower fork when said forks are extended, and a push rod movably connected with said coextensive tine engageable by said lever at one end and engaging said motion translator at its other end when said forks are in extended position, manipulation of said lever moving said push rod which in turn moves said motion translator to open the valve in said tank for discharge fluid shampoo from said tank. 